Dehydrator



Sept. 10, 1929. v GIBSON DEHYDRATOR Filed Feb. 16, 1927 nwnuuuuuuu.,

IIIIIIIIIIMM Patented Sept. 10, 1929. y

Units svi-"ares earsNrorFlcE.

VICTOR L. GIBSON, F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

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Application led February 16, 19,27. Serial No. 168,75.

ln this specification, and the accompanyover the riiiles in a thin, Wide stream at a very ing drawing, l shall describe and show aprelow velocity@y This makes it possible to ferred form of my invention, and specifically utilize the natural segregating tendency tothe mention certain ofitsmore important obfullest extent. Another feature consists of jects. l do not limit myself to the forms disheating the unpuriiied oil and maintaining 55 i closed, since various changes and'adaptations it at a uniform temperature during its pasmay be made therein Without departing from sage over the rifjles, irrespective ofthe velocity the essence of my invention as hereinafter of How, and thus obtain the maximum sepclaimed; and objects and advantages, other arating effect dueto tenfiperature. After than those specifically mentioned, are in-y passing through the dehydra'tor yproper the 60 eluded Within its scope. hot oil is cooledin a manner to be described,l

My invention relates to means for ycleaning before being discharged. l y n l crude oil and other oils and freeing them from rlhe embodiment of my invention selected emulsions and mixtures of Water. Among its for illustrative purposes comprises upmore important objects are; first, to provide right shell 5 of rectangularsection. `Within 55 a dehydrator adapted to receive and purify this are stackedaplurality of slightly spaced crude oil as it comes from a Well, and to operrect-angular rifiie penso, one above ,the other, ate anywhere as in close proximityfto the the pans being connected `by vertical risers 7 Well; second, to supply a dehydrator capable in staggered arrangement. Betweenthe pans of removing Water from oil emulsions Withare `horizontal partitions 8 cooperating With 7 0 out the use of chemicals or electrical devices; the pains to form thin horizontal iiovv pas,-`

and, third, to accomplish the above by means sages above ythem communicating with r.the

of a relatively simple and inexpensive conrisers. yThe pan riffles) are relativelyldeep as struction.. l shown. They are arranged transversely to My objects are attained in themanner illusthe flow and extend clear across the pans. 75

trated in the accompanying drawing, in At the bottom of each lrijffle is antautomatic Which- *y valve 10 adapted to trap aWayWater, or Water Figure l isa longitudinal section of the and emulsion, (as desired, The discharge complete devicein elevation, and `y orifices of these valves yare connected ,to i

so Figure 2 is a cross section of a portion of headers 1l leading into Waste pipes l2. Such S0 the device in plan view, the sectionfbeing valves are readily.procurableand,dotnotlcontaken on the line 2 2 of Fie'. l. c stitute per se a part of my present .invenf I u v v l Similar reference numerals reier to slmllar tion, A rsuitable valve for this purpose is parts throughout both views. one that utilizes ,a float .having .a weight My invention is based upon the material Heater than ,the `Volume fof o that it ds 85` difference that exists between lthe specific Places, but less k,Ehn the Weghtof la GOH an ooian vvaer. vidingamultiphcity of deep riflies, or settling The rime pans me 'Smaller rthan the inside 40 Dockets over which the unmriiied o'il is i 1 f (lzaused to flow. The mixture lends to segreof s115311 @and are Centrally au anged S0 as to o'ate in the pockets, and the separated Water provldei a' Space 13 betwenfhenland'the Shel-1 *D on allsides. A steampipel `discharges into and emulsion tends to collect in the bottoms l y i thereof. l provide an automatic valve in he Shen at the bottom m15 and the Steam 45 each of these pockets adapted to trap away Hows upwardly ,lo opacos lozndfous Spooos the Water and emulsion that otherwise Would lo beneath the milles, thls'oommg 111130 dll'et accumulate therein, and thus only purified COHaCWlth the Whole 0f the UHClGISUTCQS oil is discharged from the device. 0f the TlfepllSfhellpPel SUDeCCS OP- An important feature ofmy dehydrator` tions '8, and ,the outer surfaces of ,risers f7.

consists of causing the unpurifiedoil to flow Thesteamafter thusheatingup the material y10,0

in the pans escapes from stack 17 at the top of titions between the pans forming ilow pasthe shell. n

To maintain a uniform temperature in shell during the purifying process I employ a suitable thermostat 18 penetrating into the material to be puriiied, and malre use of a thermostatic valve 19 in the steam line, controlled byy this thermostat. These devices are readily procurable and do not per se constitute a part ot my presentinvention. l prefer to locate the thermostat about in the middle. of the stach ofriiile pans as shown: The` oil to be purified is led to the lowermost riitle pan through pipe 20. It may come Y from a pump, or directly 'from a pressure flow well through a gas trapgas indicated at 2l. ln the latter event thegas trap is connected directly to the well through pipe-2:2, and the accumulated gas is discharged from the trap through pipe 23. l

After passing over all of the rille pans the purilied hot oil passes out through passage 24, and thence downwardly through a series of thin, wide,horizontal, cooling chambers 25.l These kare arranged vertically one above the other in shell 26. rThe chambers are connected in staggered arrangement by vertical ducts 27, and are smaller than shell 9.6 so as to providea space 28 all around. This shell has drait openings 29 at the bottom and a stack k3() at 4the top, thus providing for a natural draft ot air whichpasses upwardly through the shell and comes in contact with all oit' the cooling surfaces. y l

A second cooling shell 3l, with asimilar arrangement of cooling chambers 32 receives the'partially cooled oil discharged from duct 33, asindicated. This shell, like the other,

has draft openings 34 and a stack 35. In

this' shell theoil passes .upwardly through its cooling chambers and itsv temperature is reduced to normal.v --The cool purified oil is then discharged through a duct 36 into a storage tank 37. y

Gn account of temperature dilinerences it often is desirable to space the shells slightly, or to introduce heat insulating material between them. Such material is not shown in the drawings butr its use is contemplated by me when it appears to be necessary,and would at once occur to anyone having to do with the operation of such apparatus.

It will readily be seen that, Vby disposing my dehydrator in the flow line adjacent an oil well, the oil will be dehydrated and cooled without vvapor loss before going to storage.V

This effects a' great saving in storage space and delivers the oil into storage free from water and ready for pipe line movement.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim :4 Y Y l. A dehydrator comprising; a vertical shell; a plurality of horizontal pans having deep transverse rniies, 1n spaced vertical ar- Alangement within the'shell; horizontalv parsages above the pans; vertical ducts connecting said passages in series; and automatic valves at the bottoms of said riles, adapted to open for the discharge of relatively heavy liquids, and to close for preventing the discharge of lighter liquids.

2. A dehydrator comprising; a vertical shell having an opening at the top; a steam pipeleading into the shell at the bottom; a plurality ot horizontal pans having deep transverse rities, in spaced vertical arrangement within the shell; horizontal partitions between the pans forming flow passages above the pans; vertical ducts connecting said passages in series; and automatic valves at the bottoms of said rimes, adapted to open for the discharge of water or emulsion of oil in water, and to close for preventing the discharge of oil.

3.V A dehydrator comprising: a vertical shell having an opening at the top; a steam pipe leading into the shell at the bottom; a plurality of horizontal pans having deep 'transverse riilles, in spaced vertical arrangement within the shell; horizontal partitions between the pans forming ilow passages above the pans; vertical ducts connecting said passages in series; automatic valves at the bottoms or said rimes, adapted to open for the discharge of wateror emulsion of oil in water, and torclose for preventing the discharge of oil; a thermostat intermediately placed in said iiow passages g. and a valve in said pipe adapted for actuation by said thermostat.

4. Tn a. crude oil dehydrator having a series of housings for continuous treatment of a stream of oily liquid, an initial housing, a plurality lof vertical shell like cooling housings having draft Vopenings at the top and bottom thereof, a closed passageway leading continuously through said cooling housings and adapted to cool the stream of liquid delivered thereto irom said initial housing, said passageway comprising a plurality of thin, wide, horizontal cooling chambers, vertical ducts'connecting said cooling chambers in staggered arrangement, said cooling chambers being arranged in a superposed manner whereby the stream of oily liquid lows descendingly through one housing and ascendingly through the other, and a passage for the flow of the liquid from one housing to the other.

5. ln a dehydrator, a dehydrating tower in combination with a plurality of cooling towers, said dehydrating tower compressing a vertical shell having an opening at the top; means for supplying a heating medium to said tower, a plurality of horizontal trays having deep transverse ril-lifes in spaced vertical arrangement within the tower; horizontal partitions between the trays forming flow passages above the trays; vertical chiots connecting said passages in series; means for in- Cil troducing oil and oil emulsions to be purified to the lowermost ritlle tray, gravity means for separating the oil and water in said ritiles as it is forced to flow upwardly over and across the several trays, automatic valves at the bottoms of said riiiies adapted to open for the discharge of water or emulsion of oil in water and to close for preventing the discharge of oil, a passageway communicating with said dehydrator tower and said cooling towers and means for discharging from said dehydrator tower thereinto.

6. In apparatus of the character described a series of superposed substantially horizonf tal conduit sections, means aliording communication between adjacent ends of said sections in order to embody the same in a continuous conduit, means for forcing a liquid upwardly through said conduit in a continu ous stream and for hea-ting said stream to a relatively high temperature in the lowest horizontal conduit and to a less degree of heat in the upper horizontal conduits, there being a series of enlargements formed in said horizontal conduits to retard the iiow of liquids at such points, and drainage means in the bottom portions of said enlargements to remove from the liquid stream the heavier portions thereof.

7. A dehydrator comprising a zig-zag passage way provided with interruptions. means to conduct a liquid stream containing oil through said ziz-zag passage way, whereby to vary the gravity ot said liquid stream as it flows therethrough7 a drainage duct leading from said interruptions, and automatic valves located in said interruptions and actuated ac cording to the change in gravity ot the liquid collecting therein.

8. In a crude oil dehydrator, a dehydrator tower, a zig-zag passage way leading through said tower and connecting with a liquid source oit supply, regulatory means for heating said liquid as it passes through said dehydrator tower, said liquid being an emulsion of oil and water, said heating means providing a state of diaphoresis of said emulsion whereby to vary the emulsive content of said liquid as it iows therethrough, means in said passageway for segregating the moisture produced by said diaphoresis, and a plurality of automatic means -for trapping away of said moisture as said liquid is segregated and flows through the passage way in said dehydrator tower.

9. In apparatus for segregating from each other mingled liquids ot different specific gravities, a zig-zag passage having a substantially horizontal portion interrupted by a section of expanded cross .sectional area to re tard a current passing through said expanded section, a drainage outlet in the bottom portion of said expanded section, valves to control escape ot the he( vier liquids through said drainage outlet whereby to vary the gravity of the current flowing through said passage and means controlled automatically by thek specific gravity of said liquid to'operate said valves substantially as set forth.

10. In a crude oil dehydrator, the combination of a plurality of vertical shell like housings, ycertain ot' said housings comprising 'cooling housings having draft openings at the bottom and top thereof, a flow passage in said cooling housings connecting with a liquid source of supply, said flow passage compris ing a series of thin, wide horizontal cooling chambers, vertical ducts y connecting said cooling chambers in staggered arrangement and means for cooling the liquid in the flow passage as it flows slowly therethrough to a pipe line and thence onward to a place of storage.

ll. In a dehydrator, a conduit adapted to have a liquid iiow therethrough, said conduit comprising a series of pans, a series of interv rupticns in said pans, vertical ducts connecting said pans in series, means for heating said liquid, regulatory means for varying the temperature applied thereto, automatic valves in the bottom of said interruptions, said valves adapted to kproduce a regulatory puriiication oi" said liquid as it iows through said conduit.

l2. In a dehydrator tower, a conduit formed of a series ot riiiie trays connective for liquid communication, means for 'conducting a liquid stream consisting of unpuritied oil at a low velocity therethrough, means :tor heatf ing and maintaining a constant tem erature of said liquid during its passage over the riffles, said riii'les being adapted to retard and segregate the water yfrom the mixture, means to trap away the water thus segregated, whereby to vary the emulsion content and thereby to increasingly purify said liquid during the successive stages of its retardment therethrough and a discharge for the refined liquid.

i3. In a dehydrator, a dehydrator tower, an ascending series of ritle pans, conduitly arranged to form a zig-zag passage way, means to introduce an unpurilied liquid int-o said passage way, means to heat said liquid, recesses in said pans for retarding the `liow of the liquid therethrough, means to vary the gravity of the liquid collecting in said recesses, said means being actuated according to the gravity of the liquid collecting therein, an intake in the bottom of said tower and discharging into said series ot riilie pans and a duct in the top of said tower wheretrom to discharge said liquid after it has been purilied in its passage, through said tower.

14. In a device of the class described, a vertical shell having an opening at the top, a gradational conduit comprising a plurality ot superposed trays having deep transverse rifles for the transmission oic a liquid emulsion, means to heat saidr liquid emulsion, regulatory means for varying the temperature applied thereto7 said heat providing' a stater of diaphoresis of said liquid emulsion, said riiies being adapted to progressively segregate the moisture produced from said state of diaplioress throughout the several gradations of said Conduit, and automatic means to trap away the moisture thus segregated.

VICTOR L. GBSON. 

